Worried that early test results are 'false negative'

Feb 10, 2010

Hello Dr. Bob,
Thought for sure I was hiv infected from my first (and for sure last M2M oral encounter) on Dec 5, 2009. Experienced several early HIV symptoms that appeared 2 weeks later(sore swollen throat, sleep deprivation, a couple minor night sweats) then they all disappeared. This began weeks of deep worry about being hiv positive. Psychologically I felt like I was a goner for sure. So, after 7 weeks and 2 days, I took a LabCorp test; HIV-1 DNA by PCR, with HIV antibodies by ICMANGVP. Also included same time, from same sample was a HIV-1 Antibody, Confirmation Weatern Blot test, and a HIV-1/0/2 Abs, Qual. All three were NEGATIVE. I plan a final antibody test after full three months to re-confirm, but how would you assess my outcome at this point?
Thanks for your answer.
Matt

Response from Dr. Frascino

Hello Matt,

Your negative test results at seven weeks are extremely encouraging. As you are learning, there is a world of difference between "thinking" you are HIV positive and actually "being" HIV positive.

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